Work clamp



Nov. 15, 1938.

lI-L

II II J. P. HOBART ET AL WORK CLAMP F iled Feb. '19, 1937ick/11111111111111!!! fanggrd 'f Krueyer,

THE/IPA 0 BY Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITE-l) STATES John P. Hobart,Kalamazoo, and: Edward {Cr Krueger, Otsego, Mich., assignors to'Han mond5 Machinery Builders, Inc., Kalamazoo, .Mmh.,.a .comorationofMichiganjjj r v ApplicationFebruary 19; l937g s erial 12 Claims.(ciao-#60) I This invention relates generally to work clamps" and'moreparticularly to work clamps for sawing andftriinming machines of the,type used by printers;

Themain'objects of our invention are: we

1st, tofprovide a work clamp that is simple and eifective in operation,which iseasy to ma; .nipulate, and positive in action. v 7 2nd, toprovide improved means for detachably it? connecting the work clamp tothe saw table.

' 3rd, to provide improved means in a work clamp view taken'on-the line2'-2 of Figi 1. I

clamp in operative position.

25 Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation oithefwoi Fig. 4 'is a'transversesectional view on line.

4 -4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5-5 of Fig; 1.

' Fig. '7 is anenlarged view'in' end elevationfof theiwork engaging jaw.

Qur clamp is an improvement over clamps of the type disclosed in thepatentsgto Walter. S.

Runnels, 582,307, dated April 27,1926, andto Cornelius Koets,1,841,822'dated January 19, 1932.

=Referring'to'the drawing, l 'is a base having a longitudinal side wall2 terminating in opposite .end wallstl and 4. This base isadapt'ed torest on the table 5 of the sawing and trimming machine. The table 5'isprovided with a hole 6 and an inclined edge slot 1, see Fig. 3. The baseI of the clamp has a dependingportion. 8 overhangingthe table 5 adjacentthe slot 1.- A stud 8 is threaded" through the-'base 'porti'on fl forlongitudinal adjustment and'is adapted to enhole 6 in thetablei- Thecollar hasv an eccentric 1 opening. I3 in line with the bea'rin'g ll.Acam ,ll'iisiprovi ded with ash'ait l5'extending upwardly throughthe-opening 13 andbearing ll for rotary movement.- Secured" to the upperend'ohthe shaftfis affingerepi'ece' I6 forgtu'rning the cam t4 into and"outfof engagement with the bottom suriaceofthe'itable'5. 'The'cam isadapted to pass through the hole 6- when aligned; with the collaril't;*We thus provide. a veryieflicient and effective detachable connectionbetween the clamp andthe table: The movement of the finger piece lfiislimited astop l'l' on the top of'theend wall 3. e e )Theend walls3and 4of the base have aligned laterally openingtgrooves l8offcirculardovetail cross "section for slideably supporting 'anf'elo'n-egatedx'bar l9. se'cure'dito the. innerv side offan' elongated plate zThelongitudinal edges of theplatie 12.0 are flush withrthe upper, and.lower surfaces; of the endwallsofthe base. Awork ehgagingjaw 2| "ispivoted at 22 to the end of thebar-JQ; p

A block 23' is secured torthe barl'9 and. has a tongue 2 l jslideablyco-acting with a longitudi nalslot 25 in the" side wall 2 of the base.Thus the block 23 -barfil9 andp'late .20 are slideable as the passage ofa rod 29.. Thebo're26 in the. end i Fig. 6 is a transverse sectionon'line 6%6 of spring. 33 acting to resiliently'bias the rod 29 towardthe plug 30. Thus the rod 29 is free to be moved longitudinally a to a 1limited extent against the force of thecompression spring33.

On the rod-la-forslideable movement, is provided ayoke .M having alongitudinal bore. for

the passage ,oi the rod: A=wedgeq 35 is pivoted bore 38 into uniformclamping relation with the rod throughoutthe-lengthof the' yoke. Thisiska v'eryimportant feature of my invention. i The block 23 a nd;yoke3.4- are'resiliently drawn toward each other by,means of a compressionspringja acting on-a screw member 39 threaded inthe gblockandfhaving-its head 40 in a bore 4|. in the yoke; seeFig. 2. Thisarrangement providesa very effectiveconnection between the yoke andtheblocka:

.means of a link 46, the link being connected to the leverI-at 4!' andto the edge at 48. With the parts in the positionshown in Fig. 2, thejaw bar l9 may be adjusted longitudinally relative to the base I bypulling or pushing the hand lever 42 as desired. Thus the jaw 2| ismoved into *engagement with the work, andthe hand lever is swungdownwardly to a substantially horizontal position as shown by Fig. 3.

The initial movement of the hand lever causes the link 46 to turn thewedge 35 into locking engagement with the rod 29. Continued downwardmovement of the hand lever causes the connec-' tion 41 between the linkand lever to be raised into a substantially horizontal position, asshown byKFig. 3, forcing the spring 33 to act through the parts on thework engaging jaw 2| to hold the; work in effectively clamped position.The work is released by merely touching the lever to break the togglelockformed by the positioning of the centers 44, 41 and 48insubstantially the same plane; r

From the above description of our work clamp it.will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that-we provide one which is very effective andefficient, easy to mount and remove from the table, and simple tomanipulate.

Weclaim: i

l. A clamp comprising a base having a longitudinal side wall terminatingin opposite end walls, an elongated bar slideably engaging said endwalls so that the parts are held in assembled relation with the barfreely moveable longitudinally relative to the base, a work'engaging'jaw on the end of said bar, a block secured to said bar, saidend walls having aligned bores, a rod extendingthrough said boresforlimited longitudinal movement, spring means resisting longitudinalmovement of said rod relative to the base, a yoke normally moveablerelative to said rod, a wedge pivoted to said yoke and being normallyout of "engagement with said rod, a hand lever pivoted to said block, alink connecting said lever tosaid wedge, spring means-between said blockand lever acting to hold said lever, in its normal position, and springmeans urging said block and yoke together; operative movement of saidlever first causing said link to actuate said wedge into lockingengagement with said rod and then forcing the yoke away from the blockso that the action of the spring means on'the rod is transmitted to saidwork engaging jaw, the connection between the link and lever being alsomoved into the line of centers of the lever pivot and the con nectionbetween the link and wedge whereby the force of the block-yoke springmeans temporarily holds the parts in such position with the leversubstantially horizontal.

2. A clamp comprising a spring biased rod, a jaw bar disposed in spacedparallel relation to said'rod, ablock fixed to said jaw'bar, a'handlever pivoted to said block, means urging said hand lever toward upperinclined position, a yoke slideable on said rod, means acting to urgesaid block and yoke toward'each other, a wedge pivoted to said yokeabove said rodintermediate of the length of the yokeand having a cammedsurface for smoothly engaging said rod to lock the yoke in place thereonwhen the wedge is turned slightly, and link ineans connecting the handlever to said wedge so that the latter is turned slightly when the handlever is swung downwardly toward the horizontal, said last named springacting to hold the parts temporarily in such position with the wedge,link and hand lever pivots in substantially the same plane.

3. A clamp comprising a base,'an elongated jaw bar moveably supported atthe side of said base, a block fixed to said jaw bar, a hand leverpivoted to said block, means acting to elevate the free end of said handlever, a yoke, a spring biased rod, a rod engaging wedge pivoted to saidyoke to engage said rod'between the ends of the yoke, a

link connecting said hand lever to said wedge so 1 that when the handlever is swung downwardly the wedge is turned to engage said bar andlock the yoke "and bar together, and spring means urging said block andyoke toward each other and acting to hold the parts in temporarilylocked relation when the linkand hand lever are substantially inlinewith one another.

4. A clamp for usewith a table having an opening and an inclined edgeslot, comprising a base adapted to rest onsaid table having a dependingportion overhanging said table adjacent said slot, a stud threadedthrough said portion for longitudinal adjustment and adapted to engagesaid inclined slot-to hold one end of said base in place on the table,and a lock-nut onsaid stud for securing it in adjusted position, thebasehaving a vertical bearing near the other end thereof, a conicalcollar secured to said base to fit within said hole in the table andhaving an eccentric opening in line with said bearing, a camhaving aneccentric shaft'extending upwardly through said opening and bearing. anda finger piece secured to the upper end of said shaft for turning saidcam into and out of engagement with the bottom surface of said table,the cam being adaptedto pass through said hole when aligned with saidcollar.

5. A clamp for use with a table having an opening and an inclined edgeslot, comprising a base adapted to rest on said table and having adepending means adapted to engage said inclined slot to hold one end ofsaid base in place on the table, the base having a vertical bearing nearthe other end thereof, a conical collar :secured to said base to fitwithin said hole in the table and hav-' ing an eccentric opening in linewith said hearing, a cam having an eccentric shaft extending upwardlythrough said opening and bearing, and a finger piece secured to theupper end of said shaft for turning said cam into and out of engagementwith the bottom surface of said table, the cam being adapted to passthrough said hole when aligned with said collar.

V 6. A clamp for use with a table having an opening, comprising a baseadapted to rest on said table and having a vertical'bearing; a conicalcollar secured to said base to fit within said hole in thetable andhaving an eccentric opening in line with said bearing, a cam having aneccentric shaft extending upwardly through said openingand bearing, andmeans secured to said shaft for turning said cam into and out ofengagement with the bottom surface of said table, the cam being adaptedto pass through said 'opening when aligned with said collar.

'7. A clamp comprising a spring biased rod, 'a jaw bar arranged inspaced parallel relation to said rod, a hand lever pivoted to said jawbar, a yoke normally slidable relative tov said rod and having alongitudinal bearing therefor, a wedge pivoted to said yoke midway ofthe ends thereof and having a curved surface adapted to quickly engagesaid rod and, draw the bottom half of said bearing into clampingrelation with said rod throughout the length of the yoke, link meansconnecting said hand lever to said wedge to turn the latter. into,engagement with the rod when the hand lever is actuated tomove said yokerelative to said jaw bar, and means acting to hold said hand lever inposition with'the rod connected through said yoke to said jaw bar.-

8. A clamp comprising'a rod, a block, a hand lever pivoted to saidblock, a yoke normally slidable relative to said rod and having alongitudinal bearing therefor, a wedge pivoted to said yoke between theends thereof and having a curved surface adapted to quickly engage saidrod and draw the bottom half of said bearing into clamping relation withsaid rod throughout the length of the yoke, means connecting said handlever to said wedge to turn the latter into engagement with the rod whenthe hand lever is actuated to move said yoke relative to said block, andmeans acting to hold said hand lever in position with the rodconnected-through said yoke to said block.

9. A clamp comprising a base'having end walls provided with alignedbores, a stop in the bore of one end wall, a rod extending through thebore in the other end wall and terminating-at said stop, a barrelsecured tov said last named end wall, and a compression spring disposedin said barrel between the end thereof and the outer v out'the length ofthe yoke without marring the parts. l r

11. A clamp comprising a base, a rod slidably mounted in said base,means preventing movement of thevrod in one directiomspring meanstending to prevent movement of the rod in the other direction, a jaw bardisposed for movement in substantial parallelism to said .rods movement,operating means mounted upon said jaw bar, agripping mechanismslidablyreceived upon the slidablymounted rod, and means coopisresiliently eratively associated between the operating means and ithegripping mechanism whereby the-grip ping mechanism is rendered effectiveto grip and also the operating means and thegripping'means are movedapart for the purpose described.

12. A combination of elements as set forth in claim 11 in which thecooperatively associated means includes a toggle lever connection'gsaidtoggle lever connection being movable to substan J tially straight lineposition during one phase of its movement.

' JOHN P. I-IOBART,

EDWARD C. KRUEGER. l

